Multi-touch wall displays for informational and interactive collaborative space

Abstract

GeoTouch was envisaged as a multi-touch display and information portal for GIS data within the Earth Observatory of Singapore: specifically as a focal point for collaborative discussion and exploration. The original GeoTouch, built in 2008 used proprietary hardware and software, and pioneered various multi-touch interface methodologies within the centre. Since then, GeoTouch-II has been unveiled, based upon commercial hardware rather than the bulky projection-based systems of the original, although the underlying GIS information handling and interfaces continue to be developed in-house. This chapter discusses both systems, drawing conclusions based upon observation and survey of more than three years of use, revealing patterns related to hardware and software limitations, and reveals important information concerning correlation between placement and usefulness. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.